$2.50 Liberty Head Quarter Eagles, minted nonstop from 1840 through 1907, are remarkable in American coinage as having the longest continuous production of any design without a major change.
Also known as the "Coronet Head", the Liberty head was designed to match the styles of the other gold Eagles the government was producing. The Liberty Head design was created by Christian Gobrecht and was produced successfully from 1840 to 1907, the most popular of all of the models. One notable date is 1848, when 230 ounces of gold were sent to the Secretary of War Marcy by Colonel R.B. Mason, military governor of California. The gold was turned over to the mint and promptly made into quarter eagles.
The design as finally adopted featured a large head of Liberty facing left, wearing a wide coronet inscribed with the word LIBERTY. Her hair is pulled back in a bun and held in place by a string of pearls. Thirteen stars are placed around the periphery, representing the original colonies, with the date below. The eagle on the reverse was essentially the same one that had been on quarter eagles since 1808. Originally designed by John Reich, the 1840-1907 version was modified by Gobrecht. The heraldic eagle has its wings spread from rim to rim with the union shield covering its breast. An olive branch representing the country's peaceful intentions is in the eagle's right claw, with three arrows emphasizing military preparedness in the left. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the eagle, with the denomination 2 1/2 D. beneath the bird.